Master Emerald, Master Thief, Master Chaos
by smileaway96
Summary: Jobs don't come easily to the Chaotix Detective Agency, let alone a big one. When Knuckles asks them to perform a single and seemingly simple task, the Chaotix are determined and confident in their abilities to handle it. But how long will that flame of confidence burn until things start going downhill? Review, please!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, all! Been working on this idea for a little bit, now. Uh, I don't have too much to say about it besides I sincerely apologize if it takes me a while to update it. It probably won't be very often, but I'm hoping not to leave everyone hanging for toooo long. With that said, I hope you enjoy it! As always, I'd encourage reviews. :) Please and thank you!**

* * *

_Boom. Boom-boom-boom boom. Boom. Boom-boom-boom boom. _

A green head with a long snout bopped his head in-sync with the heavy metal song that he blasted through his headphones.

"Bum bum bum . . ." he hummed, playing an invisible guitar solo. "Weer weeeeer . . . da-nananana . . ."

Vector nodded with his eyes shut as the song faded out.

"Man, that's a great song . . ." he mumbled. "What's next?"

In the brief silence of the song switching out, another figure appeared right at Vector's side, seemingly from nowhere. He took a deep breath and cupped his hands around his mouth, preparing a yell.

"Vector!"

"Yahh!"

The crocodile fell right out of his chair with an unsettlingly loud wail. The chair flew forward as Vector slipped backward on his head. Espio dodged the chair that flew towards him with a leap up to the ceiling fan; he grasped the slow-moving fan blade and stared down at his fellow reptilian. The chair rested on its side in the corner of the room, wheels still spinning from the collapse.

Vector rubbed his head and stared straight back up at Espio with an annoyed glare.

"That's what happens when ya yell in my face!" he scolded.

Espio released his grip from the blade and landed gracefully on his feet.

"I'm only yelling out of habit," he protested quietly, "your music is always too loud, so Charmy and I constantly need to shout so you can hear us."

Vector hoisted himself up and stretched out his arms.

"I'm only tryin' ta relax, Espio. Can't have a moment's peace with you and Charmy around."

Espio decided not to argue with the boss anymore and lifted up the chair, putting it back in its rightful place behind the desk.

"Do we have any new cases, boss?" Espio asked, "or have you neglected to answer the phone because you couldn't hear it?"

Sitting back down, Vector didn't deny that his music was loud, but he also didn't admit that the phone may have rung while he was relaxing.

"Well, you were here, right? Did you hear it ring?"

Espio shook his head slowly.

"I was out and about," he answered with an expressionless tone, "I wasn't here to pick up the phone."

"So where's Charmy, then?" Vector asked, "Isn't he here?"

"Last I saw, he was playing kickball with some of the other kids."

Vector bit his lower lip and growled in defeat.

"All right, so I didn't answer the phone 'cuz I didn't hear it ring!" he spluttered, "happy now?"

Espio rolled his eyes and checked the telephone for any messages. The phone's message light remained dark and unblinking, signaling that there were no cases to be taken. "See, there's no one that needs our help, Espio! Take some time to enjoy the moment, now! Chill out!"

Grumbling, the chameleon went to the couch and dug underneath the cushions to find the remote control for the TV. Unable to locate it, Espio frowned and called his partner.

"Vector, where is the remote?"

No answer.

"Vector?"

Epsio turned to see the crocodile nodding his head and humming again. His music was turned all the way up, and could easily be heard by anyone within a seven-foot radius.

Espio silently disappeared and crept up behind the boss' chair. He grasped both sides of the back of the chair with his strong fingers and pressed his palms against it for a firm grip. The chameleon gently started tilting the chair back until it was at a 130-degree angle.

"Agh!" Vector clutched the arm rests for dear life as Espio held the chair steadily on an angle. "Espio, put the chair back; I know that's you! Look, I'll turn my music down, okay?"

The volume of the music lowered considerably as Vector held down the button. Espio nodded and let the chair go, sending Vector flying forward before he came to an abrupt halt. "Oof!"

The chameleon appeared again and gave his boss a rare grin. Vector narrowed his eyes.

"Can I help you, Espio?"

"No. I'll be upstairs if you need me," Epsio replied.

"What?! I can't hear you!" Vector shouted with a snicker, "Could ya repeat that, please?"

Espio had already disappeared up the stairs before he could respond to Vector's sarcastic comment.

* * *

"Ouch!" squealed Cream the Rabbit as a kickball flew into her head. "Ohhh . . ." She sat down, dazed.

Charmy, Tails, Sonic, Amy, and Marine all came running to the delicate rabbit and barraged her with the same question.

"Cream, are you okay? Are you all right?"

The little rabbit rubbed her head and smiled good-heartedly.

"Don't worry, everyone! I'm okay!" she replied, abruptly getting up and brushing herself off. Accepting the answer, the teams departed and scattered back around the field into their rightful places.

"Hey, Sonic," called Charmy from the other side of the field, "you know what time it is?"

"Uh, I don't know, Charmy," Sonic called back, "Hey! Anyone have a watch on them?"

As a chorus of mumbled 'no's' sounded, a figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the field.

"Time to head home, Charmy," Espio said, answering the question for him.

"Aww, but we were just getting' to the good part!" Charmy protested, "c'mon, one more round, pleeeease?"

Espio shook his head impatiently.

"No. We've been presented with a case."

"Really?" Charmy said, immediately brightening up. "Sorry guys, but I gotta go! See ya later, everyone!"

"Bye, Charmy!" everyone said, waving as he and Espio went back to the agency.

Back at the agency, Vector had just gotten off the phone as Charmy burst through the door.

"Vectoooorrrr!" he sang, excited, "What's the case? What's the case? Do we get to hunt someone down, huh, do we?"

Vector barely had time to answer as Charmy tackled him in his alligator belly. Charmy latched himself to Vector's arm, happy that he got to see some action.

"Charmy, gerroff me!" Vector said, picking up Charmy by the back of his vest and dropping him on the desk. The little bee, unfazed by being dropped, flew around to Vector's back and squeezed him from there.

"Whadda we doin', huh, Vector? I'm ready for this case, I'm ready!"

An exhausted chameleon slowly came through the door of the agency, breathing heavily.

"Remind me to schedule a race between him and Sonic; I think Charmy might be able to match his speed," he said, breathless.

"Noted," Vector retorted as he pried an ecstatic bumblebee off his back.

"Well, who was on the phone, then?" Espio asked, "what's our case?"

Vector held out his hand to restrain Charmy as he flailed about.

"Well, Espio, our new client is none other than our old pal, Knuckles," Vector said, "and, it ain't much of a case. He just wants us to watch the Master Emerald for a few hours."

Espio and Charmy fell silent. Knuckles hadn't ever asked something this big from them, nor had he ever asked Team Chaotix.

"Why us?" Espio asked, confused, "That's an awfully big job."

"Well, he said he trusted—hey, what are you implying, Espio?!" Vector exclaimed.

"Yeah, Espio, you think we can't watch a dumb ol' rock for a little bit?" Charmy said, following Vector's lead. "What could possibly happen?"

"Be careful about what you say about the Master Emerald, Charmy, it's a sacred relic that means a lot to Knuckles. He's very protective of it, and obviously he's entrusted us to guard it while he's away. And, by the looks of it," Espio added, watching as Vector and Charmy began to hit each other back and forth after some off-camera argument, "we're not exactly qualified for the job."

Vector shoved Charmy behind his desk and held him there, spreading his fingers over the bee's face.

"Well, he offered to pay us for it, so it must be urgent!" Vector said, "and you know our policy, Espio!"

"Never turn down work that pays," all three of them chimed in harmony, even with Charmy's muffled voice.

"Might as well head out to meet him, then," Vector said, releasing the bee from his grip, "I'd hate to keep the ol' treasure-hunter waiting."

"Roger that," Espio sighed. Vector and Charmy headed out the door, still bickering. "Something tells me this is gonna be a long babysitting job," the chameleon muttered, shaking his head.


	2. Chapter 2

Team Chaotix flew to Angel Island using their flight unit, Charmy. While his two teammates held on to his legs, the bee squinted into the distance and shouted,

"Land ho!"

"Thanks, Charmy!" Vector called, "now bring 'er in!"

A certain red echidna, with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow as the band of misfits descended to his island.

"Hey, guys," Knuckles greeted drily from the rendezvous point on Angel Island, which was near the Master Emerald's stony resting place, "glad you could make it."

Espio nimbly landed on his feet as he let go of Vector's legs. Vector followed suit . . . except he fell belly-first onto the unsuspecting chameleon.

"Oof!" Espio felt the breath being knocked out of him as the crushing weight of his boss landed on his back.

"You guys are heavy!" Charmy said as he landed gently on Vector's back. "Will I be gettin' paid extra?"

"No, you little striped pest!" Vector yelled as he abruptly stood up, throwing Charmy off of his back and balling up his fist in a threatening gesture.

Knuckles cringed and looked at a disheveled Espio, who lay on the ground and attempted to regain his lost breath. Knuckles held out his hand to help the chameleon up.

"You all right?" he asked, slightly concerned.

Espio wheezed a response that resembled a "yes".

"Well, I'm glad," Knuckles replied, slapping Espio on the back. The chameleon wheezed again, his last hope of breathing correctly now gone. Vector chuckled and took Knuckles' hand in a friendly handshake.

"Chaotix is the name, detective work's the game!" he introduced, vigorously shaking the echidna's hand.

"I think I'm fairly familiar with you guys," Knuckles growled, pulling away his hand. "Now, guys, I asked you to do a very, very important task. I wouldn't trust even Sonic with this job. Please, guard the Master Emerald and let no one—I mean _no one_—get their hands on it. Got it?"

All three of the Chaotix nodded.

"Gotcha, Knuckles!" they all chimed. Knuckles nodded, and then turned to Espio, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Please, Espio, you know how important this is. I trust that you'll take good care of the Master Emerald. Keep careful watch; you never know what could happen around here."

Espio, though still a bit winded, nodded faithfully.

"You can count on me," he said.

"Thanks."

Knuckles started to turn away, when Espio stopped him.

"One more question, Knuckles," he said, "why do you need someone to watch the Master Emerald for you?"

"I've got some business to take care of," the echidna replied, "it's pretty urgent. I'll only be gone for about an hour, though, all right? I'll pay you extra if I'm gone any longer than that."

"Gotcha," Espio said again, "we'll see you back here then."

"Yeah, see you."

Team Chaotix watched as Knuckles ran off into the lush forest behind the Emerald. After he had vanished from sight, Vector spoke up in a boss-like voice.

"Well, you guys heard 'im! Everyone's gotta take different places around the Master Emerald to keep watch from all angles. Now let's go!"

"Yeah!" Charmy exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air, "Let's go, let's go!"

Espio simply gave a nod and dispersed as the others did, taking a position outside of the Emerald.

* * *

The first half hour went pretty smoothly, with little to almost no conversation. Vector kicked back and laid down, soaking in the sun rays that beat down on Angel Island. He turned up his music and shut out the world, though he didn't close his eyes this time. Espio kept a very alert eye on the entirety of his line of vision, watching for intruders or thieves over the mountains. He peered over at a waterfall and exhaled very slowly, enjoying the sound of the water rushing over rocks and into the vast sea below. Charmy, bored with sitting in the same old spot and looking at the same old stuff, flew quietly up to the top of the giant jewel and sat on it.

"I'm getting a bit bored," he yawned, hoping to strike up a conversation with his coworkers. Vector hadn't heard him, but Espio sharply turned around.

"I wouldn't sit on top of that, Charmy," the chameleon warned, "why do you think Knuckles had us guard the Emerald? It's capable of great power, you know."

Charmy groaned audibly from atop the shiny perch.

"I knowwww, but I'm bored! Ooh, why don't we play a game to pass time?"

Espio gave an annoyed sigh.

"Charmy . . ."

"Okay, I spy with my little eye . . . somethin' green!"

Espio pursed his lips as he glared at the bee. He said nothing in response and went back to his watch. However, Charmy was persistent.

"I'll give ya a hint: they're all over the island!"

No response.

Charmy flew in front of Espio's face and stared at him with large eyes.

"I'll give you another hint: they're tall and they have leaves and branches-"

"They're trees," Espio answered, "now get back to your spot. Games are over."

"No, not yet!" Charmy insisted, dizzily flying around the chameleon's head in circles, "it's your turn! Pick somethin'! C'mon!"

Rolling his eyes, Espio decided not to argue and scanned the island for something that was not easily spotted. As he looked, the chameleon noticed something moving quickly.

"I spy . . ." he said, not taking his eyes off the spot of movement, "something white."

Charmy frowned and squinted into the general direction that Espio was looking.

"White?"

* * *

Rouge the bat gazed at the Master Emerald from a distance between hundreds of tree branches. The shiny green luster seemed to call to her eyes that were nearly the same color.

"Hello, gorgeous . . ." she whispered, never tired of the beauty of the jewel, "how are you today?"

To move closer, the bat gently spread her wings and flew to a higher position. She landed silently on a rocky ledge next to the tallest trees to get an aerial view of the Master Emerald without being seen.

"Oh, this is the right spot," she mumbled, "perfect. Now where's that hot-headed echidna?"

Glancing around, Rouge couldn't see the red echidna anywhere. Frowning, she looked twice, three times for him. It was almost nerve-wracking that the guardian of the Master Emerald wasn't present. "Where the heck could he be?" Upon closer inspection, Rouge could make out three figures standing around the Emerald. Well, one was standing, anyway. The other two seemed to be lounging. The green one and the yellow one . . . "Chaotix!" Rouge realized, snapping her fingers, "Knuckles must have asked them to watch over his rock so people like me wouldn't try anything." The bat chuckled mischievously, "Well, then, this should be an unusual heist. I've been waiting for a day like this to happen . . ."

With that, Rouge formed a devious plot and took off, hoping to remain unseen for now.


	3. Chapter 3

Vector nodded his head to the beat that came through his headphones, sinking more into the music as he laid against the Master Emerald. His eyes drooped with fatigue as he began to doze off.

Charmy, seeing a golden opportunity with this situation, peered at his boss from the top of the Emerald and counted down from three in his head.

_3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . ._

"Ha!" he cried, jumping from the jewel and into Vector's lap, "hey, Vector, wake up! We gotta watch, 'member?"

"Agh!" Vector gasped as Charmy knocked some of the wind from him, "Charmy, I was tryin' ta sleep!" he yelled through Charmy's hysterical giggle fit, "Are you outta your mind?!"

"Sor-ry, I thought it was funny!" Charmy protested, wiping tears from his eyes, "Boy, you shoulda seen the look on your face, Vector! Your eyes got sooo big!"

"C'mere, you little-"

Vector lunged for the laughing bee. Charmy dodged the gloved hands and taunted his boss, all the while quoting the blue blur.

"You're too slow!" he sang, "Too slow, too slow, Vector's too slooowww!"

"I'd be faster if I wasn't so tired!" Vector protested, "You've got wings, you little brat!"

"I sure do!"

Charmy used his wings to proceed to the top of the Emerald again, knowing he was safe there. He chuckled to himself and then turned around, suddenly meeting a pair of green eyes.

"Hi, kid."

"Yahh!" Charmy yelped, taken aback.

"Well, that's certainly no way to greet a lady," Rouge the bat said, placing her hand on her hip disapprovingly, "hasn't your team taught you anything about manners?"

Espio, realizing that the voice was not one of his teammates', pulled out two shuriken and without a moment's hesitation, jumped straight up and threw them in the direction of the voice.

Rouge pulled Charmy out of the way and flew behind the Emerald, allowing the shuriken to slice off the leaves of a tree behind them.

"Take it easy, there, hon; I'm not here to do any harm," she said, waving her hand as a substitute for a truce flag.

"Uhhh . . . it's okay, guys, it's only Rouge," Charmy said, sounding nervous all of a sudden, "no more shuriken, Espio."

Espio nodded and then apologized as Rouge came out from behind the Emerald.

"Apologies, Rouge," he said. "I didn't know it was you."

"Ahh, it's no big deal," Rouge replied with a forgiving hand gesture.

"Hey, Rouge," Vector greeted, a little late in all of this, "Long time no see."

"Hello, boys," the bat said as she landed gracefully to the ground and gently put down Charmy, "you're all looking well."

"Well, thanks," Vector said, "we've been pretty active lately, y'know."

Espio and Charmy both gave Vector incredulous looks.

"I can see that," Rouge said after a brief second of scrutinizing the crocodile's massive body. Then she began her act, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Well, now, this is awkward."

"What do you mean?" asked Espio.

Rouge shrugged and crossed her arms.

"Why are you guys hanging out so close to the Master Emerald?"

"Knuckles asked us to watch over it for 'im while he's gone," Vector replied in attempt to dismiss any misunderstandings, "why?"

"That's very interesting. It just so happens that he asked me to carry out this task, too."

The three Chaotix were speechless for a moment, and then Vector narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"I don't think he'd ask us all to do it," Vector thought aloud, "not that he doesn't trust you, of course."

"That's just ridiculous!" Charmy chimed, spinning around in circles. "What's Knuckles thinking?"

"Even if it is generally against my morals, I'm going to have to agree with Vector on this one. Knuckles wouldn't have requested someone else to perform this task without letting us know."

_They're sharp,_ Rouge thought, _this should be fun._

"You're absolutely right," Rouge said, "I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Let me find him so I can ask, 'kay, hon?"

Rouge gave a little wink to Vector, whose face went bright pink, not something you'd see very often on a green face.

"Well, I guess ya could," Vector said, rubbing the back of his neck, "tell us what he says, all right?"

"Gotcha covered, Vec. Back in a flash!"

Rouge flew away and disappeared into the forest "in search" of Knuckles.

"That was weird," Vector commented.

"You're tellin' me," Espio agreed, "let's just wait for her to return."

* * *

Rouge waited until she was sure that she was out of sight to land and put her plan into action. She landed at the base of a cliff, where the trees had begun to thin.

"Now, hopefully this works . . ." she mumbled.

The bat pulled out a small detonation device and set it down on the rocky ground. She set the tiny timer for three minutes and then flew out of the range of the bomb.

Within three minutes, the bomb exploded with a loud _boom_. A large gap opened up in the side of the cliff, and pieces of it tumbled down into the newly-made crater in the ground. Rouge coughed to rid her lungs of the smoke and waved her hand in front of her eyes to see more clearly.

"Ahh, there we go!" she said, looking at the remains of the explosion. "Now for the final touch."

Rouge pulled a wristwatch, identical to her G.U.N. watch, out from her boot and set it on the charred stone off to the side.

"Hopefully the Chaotic crackpots will come looking for me because I've been in an accident," she chuckled, pleased with herself. "Now we wait."

* * *

Sure enough, Charmy was the first of the Chaotix to notice the explosion.

"Rouge could be in trouble!" he said, jumping around Espio and flailing his arms around, "we gotta go help her! C'mon, pleeeease? This is serious!"

Espio groaned.

"I suppose we'd better investigate," he said, dejected. "One of us has to stay here, though."

Vector set his hand on Espio's shoulder and laughed heartily.

"Nonsense, Espio!" he cried, "we Chaotix have to stick together if we're going to help a friend!"

"But . . . the Emerald," Espio pointed out, gesturing to the shining jewel, "how are we going to watch it?"

"We'll only be gone a few minutes, Espio! I'm sure Rouge is just fine. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Please don't say that," Espio muttered, "that's when everything goes wrong . . ."

"Not this time, o doubtful chameleon!" Vector said, "let's get a move on to see if Rouge is okay."

Espio hesitated as Charmy and Vector ran or flew off into the woods. He looked one more time at the Emerald and shook his head.

"I guess if it's only for a little bit . . ."

After one last glance, Espio took off after his teammates, still doubtful.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, all, just wanted to apologize for the delayed update! **

* * *

Rouge watched with a smug grin as the three members of Team Chaotix bolted past the tree she was hiding in.

"What do you know, they fell for it," she mumbled as she could hear Charmy squealing,

"Find Rouge! Let's find Rouge!"

Pleased with her success, the bat quietly leaped into the air and flew off.

_Oh, Knuckles, look what you've done . . ._ she thought. _That Master Emerald is as good as mine._

* * *

Team Chaotix found themselves deep in the forest as they called Rouge's name. Espio, who was having a difficult time keeping up with his teammates, sat down on a fallen tree branch to rest in a little clearing where Vector and Charmy had stopped.

"I still say one of us should head back to the Emerald's resting place," he said warily, still as suspicious as ever.

"Oh, Espio, cut it out!" Vector exclaimed, "I'm sure that Emerald can wait. We'll be back for it soon enough."

Espio sighed in defeat. The chameleon got up and continued to search for Rouge, walking along the side of a cliff after the amount of trees started to reduce, still close to his teammates. He knew that the Emerald probably wasn't going anywhere, but if someone's life was in danger, particularly a friend's . . . well, his conscience pointed him in the right direction. A cliff sat in front of the chameleon's face, and, judging by the smell of smoke and the the cliff's missing chunk that lay in remains in a rock pile at his feet, this was most likely where the explosion had taken place.

"Hey, boss, you should-"

"Espio, for cryin' out loud, no more about the Emerald!"

"But that's not-"

"Hup! Nope! Don't wanna hear it!"

"I'm trying to tell you-"

Vector cut off the chameleon after noticing what was behind him.

"Hey, waitasecond! Izzat a hole in that cliff?"

Espio threw up his arms in exasperation, and began to question why he should even bother. Vector gestured for Charmy to join him and Espio to examine the gap in the cliff more closely.

"Oooh, a hole!" Charmy said with mock awe, "how exciting."

The crocodile brought his snout close to the rock pile beneath the gap and took a deep breath.

"Smells like smoke," he concluded, "and it's fresh, too!"

Espio looked for traces of powder that may have been left over from the explosion.

"Not seeing any explosive powder," he remarked, rubbing gravel between his fingers, "only charred bits of rock."

Charmy darted around the rock pile, quietly asking the rocks if they had trapped Rouge.

"Rouge, are ya in there?" he asked softly, "Should we start pullin' rocks away?"

"Charmy, Rouge isn't in the pile!" Vector called, hearing his questions, "I already looked."

"Aww, I thought I was onto somethin'!" the bee whined, "at least I'm tryin'!"

"Whaddaya mean by that?!" the crocodile said, falling into Charmy's prompts too quickly.

Espio tried to block out the sound of his coworkers going on and on about who was the better detective so he could focus on looking for clues. The sun shone directly at a small glint of light that traveled straight into the chameleon's eye. Blinking it away, Espio scanned the ground for the source of the light. The glare, as it turns out, was coming from a wristwatch of some kind. Espio carefully picked it up and examined it closely.

"Guys, look at this," he said without taking his eyes off of the watch.

Vector and Charmy approached Espio and glanced at the clue.

"Huh, good work, Espio. Very interestin'."

"Thanks," Espio mumbled, "my only question is: if this watch was being worn by someone in this explosion, how would it not have a single scratch on it?"

"Must be invincible," Charmy chimed as Vector carefully took the watch.

"This a G.U.N. watch!" the crocodile realized, "it's gotta be Rouge's!"

"Never would have guessed," Espio retorted.

"Well, you shoulda, then!" Vector exclaimed in reply, "Boy, we're really on fire today, aren't we, boys?"

Charmy latched onto Vector's back and gripped his boss' sides with his short legs.

"Yeah, cuz the hot air is escaping from your head," the bee remarked. He dodged as the crocodile made a grab for him. "Call the fire trucks! Wee-oo, wee-oo, wee-oo!"

Charmy buzzed around making siren noises while he flew around the cliff's base.

Espio looked off into the direction from which they had come, deep in thought and analyzing the situation at hand.

"Vector . . ." he started, a theory developing in his head, "did it ever occur to you that someone may have been trying to distract us from watching the Emerald?"

"Of course it did!" Vector insisted, "I'm a detective, we gotta be sharp!"

Espio blinked confusedly.

". . . And . . ."

"And I realized what a goofy idea that was," the crocodile waved his hand in dismissal, "there's no one else on this island."

"No one 'cept Rouge," Charmy pointed out while swinging his legs from a tree branch.

Espio turned to the bee and raised an eyebrow.

"How do we know for a fact that Rouge is still on this island?" he challenged, expecting no answer. Instead, Charmy shut his eyes and placed his hand on his cheek.

"Easy," he said, "just look up!"

Vector and Espio immediately looked towards the sky. A figure bolted across the small blue patch of sky that wasn't covered by trees, and carried a huge green mass beneath them. The realization hit both Espio and Vector at the same time.

"The Emerald!"

* * *

Rouge had disappeared in an instant, being the fast flier that she was.

"Well, now what?!" Vector cried, panicked, "we gotta get that Emerald back somehow!"

It took every bit of Espio's self-control to refrain from giving his boss a smug "I-told-ya-so" smirk. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Vector slapped his hands together. "I got it!"

"What's that, Vector?" Charmy asked, excited, "you got a plan?"

"Let's follow 'er and see if we can trap her!"

With no time to waste, the other teammates nodded.

"Roger!" Espio and Charmy both exclaimed, raising their hands to their foreheads in a salute. Frantic and barely keeping their cool, Team Chaotix rushed in the direction that the thief was headed.

* * *

**A/N: Also, I'm sorry if this chapter was a little messy. ^_^" If you have any questions, just send me a quick PM. Thanks, guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

Rouge landed in a grassy clearing where the trees had thinned out and a rocky terrain with waterfalls cascading over the edge. She carefully set down the Master Emerald and sat down next to it, tired yet determined.

"I'd better not stay here for too much longer," she said to herself, "the Chaotix might be sharp enough to catch up with me. But as for now . . ." the bat stretched her arms and put her hands behind her head as she laid down, ". . . I'll just take a sec to catch my breath."

Rouge crossed one leg over the other. Man, it felt good to finally have that Emerald. It was all hers now, or at least once she left the island with it. The feeling of success crept up to her face and pulled at her cheeks, thus forming a half-smile. The satisfaction weighed down her eyelids and she shut her eyes. In the company of the Master Emerald, the bat felt invincible.

* * *

"Ooh, ooh, look!" Charmy half-whispered, half-squealed, "I found her! I found her!"

Espio and Vector peered through the tree branches through which Charmy was pointing. Sure enough, there was a huge opening partially covered with grass that the bat and the glimmering jewel rested in. Vector, unable to contain some strange mixture of excitement, annoyance, and relief, tripped over a root that protruded from the dirt and fell on his face with a _thud._ Being the impulsive and overly-dramatic insect that he was, Charmy rushed to help his boss up, shooting questions at him like a machine-gun of words.

"I'm fine, Charmy, I'm fine," Vector said, wiping off his knees. "We gotta think up some way to get that Emerald away from her."

Espio widened his eyes and slowly looked up at the crocodile.

"You can't be serious," he whispered, "Didn't you think of some way while we ran here?"

Vector shook his head.

"Did you?" he replied, crossing his arms.

"You're the boss, not to mention you said you had a plan."

"That was only the runnin' part," Vector spat, "you're the brains, remember?"

"Well, my thought is this-"

"Guys, stoppit and c'mere!" Charmy whisper-squealed, "she's getting up!"

Espio and Vector observed. Sure enough, Rouge was slowly rising to her feet and stretching herself out. Vector and Charmy both swiveled their heads to look at Espio, who turned his eyes to them without moving his head.

"Great, now I'm responsible for this? Why don't we all come up with something?"

"No time, Espio!" Vector protested as quietly as possible, though it wasn't easy for him. "Think, I know you can do it!"

"Yeah, think, think, think!" sang Charmy. Vector swung his arm out and took a hold of Charmy's vest. In doing so, he brought the bee close to his snout.

"Quiet," the crocodile growled. Charmy, only slightly intimidated, nodded and rubbed his nose as soon as Vector had let go. After a second of chin-stroking and lip-pursing, Espio snapped his fingers.

"I've got it."

* * *

"Ready, Espio?"

"Always."

Espio gave Vector and Charmy a thumbs-up and disappeared. Vector couldn't see his ninja teammate, but he knew that he'd be sitting on top of the Master Emerald soon enough. Vector then motioned to Charmy, giving him the signal to fly to the other side of the Emerald where Rouge wasn't standing. Once Charmy had silently flown to the other side, he let out a short shriek.

Rouge jumped at the sound, as did both Vector and Espio. They knew Charmy was capable of making such noise, but it was still a chilling sound. Rouge jumped into a fighting stance and growled.

"Who's out there?" she called into the woods, "Come on out, and maybe I'll go easy on ya!"

There was no response. Rouge shook her head and stared into the sky. "Gee, I must be imagining things," she assured herself, "there's absolutely no one there."

Unbeknownst to the bat, Espio had picked up the tied end of the fishing net and held it up for Charmy to see. After receiving the signal, Charmy nodded and flew to where the tied end of the knot was. Espio appeared for a moment so Charmy could see him, and he took the chameleon by the hand and hoisted him and the Emerald off the ground. Vector watched it unfold with a smile.

"Attaboys," he muttered, "nicely done."

Without warning, a white blur tackled Vector to the ground, causing his head to collide with a rock on the ground.

"Hey, are you outta yer mind?" he asked harshly, wincing from the pain, "my skull's gonna be cracked now!"

"You thought I wouldn't notice you spying on me, didn'cha? Well, hon, I'm sorry to say that kinda failed."

Vector watched as his two companions carried off the Emerald.

"Heh, yeah, I gotta learn t'be more subtle," he stuttered, prying his eyes away from the airborne Emerald.

Rouge turned around to find that the Emerald was no longer there. She uttered something that resembled a yelp, and then took Vector by the chain around his neck.

"Where'd it go?" she said in a low voice, "what have you done with my Emerald?"

Vector smiled meekly.

"It ain't yours, Rouge," he said, "Ya shouldn't have taken it!"

Rouge chuckled softly and dangerously.

"Where . . . is . . . it?"

With every word, Rouge brought the crocodile closer to her face, rage becoming prominent through her firey eyes and bared teeth.

"It's, uhhh . . ." _Oh boy,_ Vector thought, _never thought I'd get this far . . ._

Before he had time to come up with a decent excuse, Rouge released her grip on Vector and focused her gaze on the blue sky.

"Those wouldn't happen to be your coworkers, would they?"

Vecotr looked in the same direction that Rouge was looking. Sure enough, Espio and Charmy were still up in the air, and it appeared that they were struggling to keep the Emerald steady in the air. Vector watched as they sagged, and then rose . . . sagged and rose . . . sagged . . . and . . .

The Master Emerald slipped and dove straight down. The weight had been too much for Charmy and Espio working together, and now they were both in the air, staring down with what seemed to be the same look of horror that Rouge and Vector had. Dread sank into everyone's heart.

"Crap," mumbled Rouge, "holy . . . crap."

With a whoosh, the bat's wings spread and she took off to retrieve the Emerald.

"Waaaaaiit!" Vector called, "Don' leave me here! Hey, hold up!"

He clumsily ran though the woods, desperately wishing he could fly.

_Ohh, Knuckles is gonna kill us . . ._ he thought,_ He's gonna kill us . . . _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I apologize for the delayed update! . . . All righty, back to business. **

* * *

The Master Emerald plummeted down to the watery abyss below. There was a mad scramble to recover the falling Emerald. Charmy had literally dropped a frantic chameleon on the closest cliff and fluttered his wings as fast as they could go to get the Emerald back. Rouge was a little more graceful in her flight, her wings flapping more slowly and calmly. Charmy's face was becoming red with determination and urgency as he breathed heavily through his mouth. The wind flew in both of the pursuers' eyes; tears ran down their faces, but neither one was ready to give up just yet.

"I'll bet I can catch it first, Rouge!" Charmy yelled, always in a mood to play games.

"In your dreams, kid!" Rouge shouted back, but not quite in the same playful fashion that Charmy was intending. This was more of a passionate determination than a childish game.

The Emerald was getting dangerously close to the water. Rouge was close enough to the giant jewel that she could begin reaching for the fishing net that was still tied around it. Charmy glanced over at her through his teary eyes and became even more competitive. His wings were beating against his back and each other furiously.

_Get it! Get it! Get it! _he thought as the water came closer. He and the bat could feel the spray of the waves on their faces already. Charmy started to reach for the net, which had been flapping up in the wind as it dove towards the water.

"Ha!" Rouge caught a stray net fiber in her fingers. Pleased with herself, she looked up to gloat, but it was too late. Charmy stopped himself before both the Emerald and Rouge plunged into the water.

"Ahhh!" Salt water splashed into the bee's large eyes. He hovered over the surface of the water and tried to rub the water out, all the while blubbering in pain. "Oww! Owowow! My eyes are being sucked outta my head! Help!"

The bee opened his eyes, which were now reddened by the salt, and blinked numerous times.

"Owww . . ." In a moment, he regained awareness of the events that had just taken place. He peered down into the water and watched it as the foam from the impact disappeared. "Rouge?" There was no response. "Ahh! Rouge! Oh no, oh no!" Charmy flew close to the water and started digging at it, as though it would clear away like dirt or sand. The water only replaced itself over and over, leaving the bee frantic and discouraged. Reasoning didn't come easily to the poor kid, but after pacing the air for a few seconds, Charmy put his hands on his helmet and felt around it. "Wait, I have goggles!" he called to no one in particular, pumping his fist in the air. "Yes!"

The bee pulled his goggles over his eyes and held his breath as he stuck his face into the cold saltwater. He could only get a glimpse of Rouge struggling to untangle her boot from the net, which had wrapped itself around her leg as she sank deeper into the ocean. Charmy's eyes got wider and he tried to yell, "Hang on!" from under the water. Instead, the bee only created a swarm of bubbles around his face and a muffled shout.

Charmy gasped for air as he lifted his head from under the surface.

"Hold on, Rouge!" he shouted, "Just hang tight! We're comin' for ya!"

The bee rushed off to find his boss, leaving a very confused Espio yelling as he stood stranded on the cliff where he'd been dropped off.

"Charmy! What about—Charmy!"

The bee was long gone at that point. Espio gritted his teeth in frustration and muttered under his breath as he began to scramble up the rocky cliff.

* * *

Vector ran in the general direction in which he had seen Rouge bolt. He panted heavily as he continued to sprint through the forest.

"Doggone it, why didn't I listen to Espio?" he muttered under his breath, "I had to play the boss again. Dangit all, why does this always happen?"

The crocodile skidded to a halt, similar to the way Sonic would. He could have sworn that there had been a yell from somewhere distant. "Hellooo?" he called, "Whoozout there?"

There was a pause before Vector could go back to running. Just as he thought nothing of the sound, something came careening out of the woods.

"Vectorrrr!"

Charmy flew into his boss' face and latched onto his snout, all the while panting and flipping out in general, breathlessly waving his arms around.

"Vector, it's Rouge! She's gotten herself—I mean, ya gotta see! And you're the only one—I tried to—but she—she's—it's-"

Vector, with muffled speech, pawed at Charmy to shake him off of his nose.

"Charby! Ged off by—dose!" The boss took in a few deep breaths as he pried the bee away from him. He gripped his knees, still recovering from his previous efforts to catch up with Rouge. Charmy wasn't going to give up; not now. He grabbed Vector's arm and tugged at it, his wings furiously beating at the air.

"Boss, c'mon! Rouge is sinking to th' bottom of the sea with the Master Emerald!"

"What?!" Vector bellowed, "Whaddaya mean?!"

"As if it's not obvious enough, Vector," Espio called from a short distance, and then in a moment appeared in front of his teammates, winded. "This is pretty urgent, if you couldn't tell."

"Right, right," Vector nodded, "well, we need a plan, and fast!"

Espio yanked his boss' shoulder so that he was facing the chameleon.

"Whoa! Yes, Espio?" Vector asked, hoping he had a plan.

"You can help Rouge," Espio said, "you're the only one that can swim here."

Vector stared at the hovering bee-child, and then down at Espio.

"So I gotta do this all by myself, then?"

"It's looking like it," Espio said grimly, "now let's hurry back, before Rouge . . ."

Vector and Charmy had already scurried off into the woods and towards the waterfalls near where Rouge had fallen.

"Wh—roger, I guess . . ."

The chameleon also bolted off after his coworkers.

* * *

In the meantime, Rouge had managed to drag the Emerald to the surface of the water, where she struggled to hold it up with her tangled foot and one hand. It was even heavier when it was underwater. The bat's eyes frantically darted around, looking for a safe place to pull the Master Emerald to. By the looks of it, she'd have to fly it up, even if her leg was caught in the net.

Rouge whirled around as something splashed behind her. She peered into the water, only to see a long green figure rapidly swimming towards her.

"Ohhh, no, you don't!" she cried, kicking at the green creature, "not today, pal!" The creature cowered as Rouge's boot struck it square in the head. She kept her eyes on the water, hoping it wouldn't return. Another sound erupted from behind her; another splash, and the sound of a perfectly executed spit take.

"Boy, you really got somethin' against me, doncha?" Vector bobbed at the bat's side, rubbing his head. Rouge, recalling her anger for the Chaotix, made an effort to splash saltwater into Vector's face. Spluttering, Vector shook his head like a dog trying to rid its ears of water. "Look, at least lemme get your foot unstuck, all right?!"

"Hmph! I don't need your help," Rouge said as her face began to sink under the surface, "I can-" -she coughed- "manage by myself!"

"Sure you can," Vector rolled his eyes, and then dove back under the water to free Rouge's boot from the unforgiving fishing net. Once he'd finished, Vector made a grab for the fishing net and pulled it up with ease. With lightning speed, Rouge lunged for it, something that resembled a yell escaping from her throat. Vector, having the better advantage in water, was able to keep it out of her reach until he whistled for his teammates.

Espio and Charmy swooped down at the signal. Charmy held Espio by his underarms to the chameleon could nab the fishing net, which he had success in doing.

"Thanks, guys!" Vector shouted.

"No!" Rouge yelled as they carried the Emerald back to the shrine, "No, come on! I was so freaking _close_!"

The bat used her wings to violently propel herself out of the water and looked Vector straight in the eyes.

"You're lucky now," she warned softly, bringing his face close to hers, "but I'll get that rock someday. I'll smack you over the head with it when I get the chance!"

"H-hey, now! Take it easy!" Vector uttered, battling the gravity that tried to tug him under the water, "I'm only doin' my job!"

Rouge shoved the crocodile into the salty water and flew off, leaving Vector with a mouthful of seawater.

"Ughh . . . pah! _Pah_!" He laid back in the water and floated there, relieved that the whole ordeal was over. "Man . . .That's the last time I ever argue with a gal."

"It'll be the last time you do anything if you're not back by the shrine, boss!"

Charmy buzzed above Vector's head and jabbed at his head with his fingers.

"Ow!"

"Knuckles is comin' back! We gotta get a move on, 'fore he finds out!"

"Shoot! Well, whaddaya waiting for? Hoist me up!"

The bee lifted up his boss by the hands and they flew up to the shrine, praying the echidna hadn't gotten there yet.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So, here it is-the final chapter. ^_^ A big thanks to all those who followed, favorited, and reviewed this'n! You guys rock! *thumbs up***

* * *

Knuckles whistled as he returned to the island and strutted back to the shrine. For once, he was in a pretty good mood. Only thing that could ruin it is if anything happened to the Master Emerald.

The echidna approached the stone shrine, squinting in order to examine it from a distance.

At least the shrine is still standing, he thought with relief, and the Master Emerald is in one piece.

"Heyyy, welcome back, big guy!" Vector greeted suddenly, walking down the steps of the shrine and shaking his hand. Knuckles yanked his hand away and frowned.

"'Big guy'?" he muttered, staring up at the large crocodile.

Espio and Charmy emerged from the shrine, imitating Vector's oddly antsy walk down the stairs. Knuckles noticed the tiny change immediately and grew even more serious.

"Did anything happen while I was gone?" he asked, paranoid about the Emerald.

"Well-" Espio began, preparing to tell the truth until Vector nervously pushed him out of the way.

"Nahhhh, nothin' happened, Knuckles, ol' pal!" he said, "Look, everything's all here and we're all alive and happy!" Vector waved his arms frantically in front of his and his teammates' bodies, indicating that they made it through this encounter unscathed. "See, lookit us! And the ol' Master Emerald! All here!"

"Yeah, yeah, not a scratch on us!" Charmy twirled around, showing off his scratch-free self.

"Vector . . ." Espio mumbled, his voice muffled by Vector's huge hand. Charmy buzzed around confusedly and nervously, darting from one side of Vector to the other.

"Well, uh . . ." Knuckles glanced back up at the shrine, still slightly doubtful of Vector's and Charmy's behavior. "Thanks for taking care of it."

Vector grabbed Knuckles' hand and roughly swung it up and down.

"Anytime, old friend, anytime! Now, c'mon, boys, let's not waste any more of this fella's time! Charmy, do yer thing! Take care, Knuckles!"

Vector covered a protesting Espio's mouth as Charmy went to grab his hands.

"Bye, Knuckles!" the bee said, as Espio began to stutter in reply.

"Now, hold on a second-!"

"No time! Got another job!" Vector dismissed Espio's desperate attempts to tell Knuckles what had happened and took a hold of the chameleon's legs. "Bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye!" Charmy called, imitating his boss.

Team Chaotix flew off into the distance and back to their detective HQ. Knuckles waved, baffled by the abrupt leave and by the fact that they hadn't even let him pay the amount of rings he owed them. The echidna walked up to the shrine where the Emerald rested. They were right; the Emerald was still in one piece and a-okay. _I guess they were capable of pulling off this job after all,_ he thought, pleasantly surprised. Knuckles then gazed into the horizon at the setting sun. It created a gorgeous pink and orange reflection in the clouds, and the waterfalls cascading over the side of the island sparkled in the dimming sunlight.

"Ahh . . ."

Placing his hand on the Emerald, he smiled as a small group of flickies fluttered by and into the forest. Unfortunately, the smile didn't last as the echidna felt his hand slipping ever so slowly. He pulled his hand away, alarmed. Upon closer inspection of the jewel, the echidna's eyes grew wide. Knuckles pursed his lips and clenched his teeth together in a moment of startling realization.

The Master Emerald was dripping wet.

A swarm of terrified flickies shot up from the trees as a loud bellow thundered over the island.


End file.
